Articles | Volume 21, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3491-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3491-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Aug 2024
Research article |
| 02 Aug 2024
| 02 Aug 2024
Patterns and drivers of organic matter decomposition in peatland open-water pools
Julien Arsenault
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Département de Géographie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
Julie Talbot
Département de Géographie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
Tim R. Moore
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montréal, H3A 0B9, Canada
Klaus-Holger Knorr
Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Henning Teickner
Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Jean-François Lapierre
Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H2V 0B3, Canada
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Alexandre Lhosmot, Gabriel Hould Gosselin, Manuel Helbig, Julien Fouché, Youngryel Ryu, Matteo Detto, Ryan Connon, William Quinton, Tim Moore, and Oliver Sonnentag
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-367, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-367, 2025
Preprint under review for HESS
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Climate change induces permanently frozen ground thaw, altering landscapes and water movements. We assess water balances (water entering and leaving difference) in a thawing boreal peatland complex in western Canada at two drainage scales: three < 1 km² basins (2014–2016) and one 130–202 km² basin (1996–2022). Both scales show similar patterns. We highlight challenges in accurate water balance estimation in low-relief areas. This study underscores ground thaw’s role in water movement dynamics.
Aude Flamand, Jean-François Lapierre, and Gwénaëlle Chaillou
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2945, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2945, 2024
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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In the context of climate change, increasing rates of coastal erosion and thawing of permafrost increase the fluxes of solutes to the Arctic Ocean. However, the fate of this newly mobilized material is still unclear and may alter ocean chemistry. We have explored the lateral inputs of carbon from coastal permafrost bluffs to the ocean via beaches in Kugmallit Bay. Our findings highlight that beaches may act as a permanent or transient terrestrial carbon sink, limiting its lateral export.
Laura Clark, Ian B. Strachan, Maria Strack, Nigel T. Roulet, Klaus-Holger Knorr, and Henning Teickner
Biogeosciences, 20, 737–751, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-737-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-737-2023, 2023
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We determine the effect that duration of extraction has on CO2 and CH4 emissions from an actively extracted peatland. Peat fields had high net C emissions in the first years after opening, and these then declined to half the initial value for several decades. Findings contribute to knowledge on the atmospheric burden that results from these activities and are of use to industry in their life cycle reporting and government agencies responsible for greenhouse gas accounting and policy.
Hongxing He, Tim Moore, Elyn R. Humphreys, Peter M. Lafleur, and Nigel T. Roulet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 213–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-213-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-213-2023, 2023
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We applied CoupModel to quantify the impacts of natural and human disturbances to adjacent water bodies in regulating net CO2 uptake of northern peatlands. We found that 1 m drops of the water level at the beaver pond lower the peatland water table depth 250 m away by 0.15 m and reduce the peatland net CO2 uptake by 120 g C m-2 yr-1. Therefore, although bogs are ombrotrophic rainfed systems, the boundary hydrological conditions play an important role in regulating water storage and CO2 uptake.
Tracy E. Rankin, Nigel T. Roulet, and Tim R. Moore
Biogeosciences, 19, 3285–3303, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3285-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3285-2022, 2022
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Peatland respiration is made up of plant and peat sources. How to separate these sources is not well known as peat respiration is not straightforward and is more influenced by vegetation dynamics than previously thought. Results of plot level measurements from shrubs and sparse grasses in a woody bog show that plants' respiration response to changes in climate is related to their different root structures, implying a difference in the mechanisms by which they obtain water resources.
Y. Wu, C. Blodau, T. R. Moore, J. Bubier, S. Juutinen, and T. Larmola
Biogeosciences, 12, 79–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-79-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-79-2015, 2015
M. Peichl, A. M. Arain, T. R. Moore, J. J. Brodeur, M. Khomik, S. Ullah, N. Restrepo-Coupé, J. McLaren, and M. R. Pejam
Biogeosciences, 11, 5399–5410, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5399-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5399-2014, 2014
H. Wu, C. Peng, T. R. Moore, D. Hua, C. Li, Q. Zhu, M. Peichl, M. A. Arain, and Z. Guo
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 867–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-867-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-867-2014, 2014
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Decomposing the Tea Bag Index and finding slower organic matter loss rates at higher elevations and deeper soil horizons in a minerogenic salt marsh
Assessing root–soil interactions in wetland plants: root exudation and radial oxygen loss
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Simulating soil atmosphere exchanges and CO2 fluxes for a restored peatland
Shoulder season controls on methane emissions from a boreal peatland
Spatial patterns of organic matter content in the surface soil of the salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)
Sorption of colored vs. noncolored organic matter by tidal marsh soils
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Peatland evaporation across hemispheres: contrasting controls and sensitivity to climate warming driven by plant functional types
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Driving and limiting factors of CH4 and CO2 emissions from coastal brackish-water wetlands in temperate regions
Reviews and syntheses: Greenhouse gas emissions from drained organic forest soils – synthesizing data for site-specific emission factors for boreal and cool temperate regions
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Sedimentary blue carbon dynamics based on chronosequential observations in a tropical restored mangrove forest
Duration of extraction determines CO2 and CH4 emissions from an actively extracted peatland in eastern Quebec, Canada
Nutrient release and flux dynamics of CO2, CH4, and N2O in a coastal peatland driven by actively induced rewetting with brackish water from the Baltic Sea
Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada
Cutting peatland CO2 emissions with water management practices
Tracking vegetation phenology of pristine northern boreal peatlands by combining digital photography with CO2 flux and remote sensing data
Dissolved organic matter concentration and composition discontinuity at the peat–pool interface in a boreal peatland
Effects of brackish water inflow on methane-cycling microbial communities in a freshwater rewetted coastal fen
High peatland methane emissions following permafrost thaw: enhanced acetoclastic methanogenesis during early successional stages
Origin, transport, and retention of fluvial sedimentary organic matter in South Africa's largest freshwater wetland, Mkhuze Wetland System
Peat macropore networks – new insights into episodic and hotspot methane emission
Mangrove sediment organic carbon storage and sources in relation to forest age and position along a deltaic salinity gradient
Plant genotype controls wetland soil microbial functioning in response to sea-level rise
Soil greenhouse gas fluxes from tropical coastal wetlands and alternative agricultural land uses
Carbon balance of a Finnish bog: temporal variability and limiting factors based on 6 years of eddy-covariance data
High-resolution induced polarization imaging of biogeochemical carbon turnover hotspots in a peatland
Committed and projected future changes in global peatlands – continued transient model simulations since the Last Glacial Maximum
Factors controlling Carex brevicuspis leaf litter decomposition and its contribution to surface soil organic carbon pool at different water levels
Exploring constraints on a wetland methane emission ensemble (WetCHARTs) using GOSAT observations
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Denitrification and associated nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from the Amazonian wetlands
Drivers of seasonal- and event-scale DOC dynamics at the outlet of mountainous peatlands revealed by high-frequency monitoring
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Interacting effects of vegetation components and water level on methane dynamics in a boreal fen
Low methane emissions from a boreal wetland constructed on oil sand mine tailings
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Satyatejas G. Reddy, W. Reilly Farrell, Fengrun Wu, Steven C. Pennings, Jonathan Sanderman, Meagan Eagle, Christopher Craft, and Amanda C. Spivak
Biogeosciences, 22, 435–453, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-435-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-435-2025, 2025
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Organic matter decay in salt marsh soils is not well understood. We used the Tea Bag Index, a standardized litter approach, to test how decay changes with soil depth, elevation, and time. The index overestimated decay, but one component, rooibos tea, produced comparable rates to natural litter. We found that decay was higher at shallower depths and lower marsh elevations, suggesting that hydrological setting may be a particularly important control on organic matter loss.
Katherine A. Haviland and Genevieve L. Noyce
Biogeosciences, 21, 5185–5198, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5185-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5185-2024, 2024
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Plant roots release both oxygen and carbon to the surrounding soil. While oxygen leads to less production of methane (a greenhouse gas), carbon often has the opposite effect. We investigated these processes in two plant species, S. patens and S. americanus. We found that S. patens roots produce more carbon and less oxygen than S. americanus. Additionally, the S. patens pool of root-associated carbon compounds was more dominated by compound types known to lead to higher methane production.
Purbasha Mistry, Irena F. Creed, Charles G. Trick, Eric Enanga, and David A. Lobb
Biogeosciences, 21, 4699–4715, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4699-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4699-2024, 2024
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Precise and accurate estimates of wetland organic carbon sequestration rates are crucial to track the progress of climate action goals through effective carbon budgeting. Radioisotope dating methods using cesium-137 (137Cs) and lead-210 (210Pb) are needed to provide temporal references for these estimations. The choice between using 137Cs or 210Pb, or their combination, depends on respective study objectives, with careful consideration of factors such as dating range and estimation complexity.
Hongxing He, Ian B. Strachan, and Nigel T. Roulet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2679, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2679, 2024
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This study applied the CoupModel to simulate carbon dynamics and ecohydrology for a restored peatland and evaluated the responses of the simulated carbon fluxes to varying acrotelm thickness and climate. The results show that CoupModel can simulate the coupled carbon and ecohydrology dynamics for the restored peatland system, and the restored peatland has less resilience in its C uptake functions than pristine peatlands under a changing climate.
Katharina Jentzsch, Elisa Männistö, Maija E. Marushchak, Aino Korrensalo, Lona van Delden, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Christian Knoblauch, and Claire C. Treat
Biogeosciences, 21, 3761–3788, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3761-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3761-2024, 2024
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During cold seasons, methane release from northern wetlands is important but often underestimated. We studied a boreal bog to understand methane emissions in spring and fall. At cold temperatures, methane release decreases due to lower production rates, but efficient methane transport through plant structures, decaying plants, and the release of methane stored in the pore water keep emissions ongoing. Understanding these seasonal processes can improve models for methane release in cold climates.
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Biogeosciences, 21, 2937–2954, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, 2024
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This study aims at inspecting organic matter dynamics affecting the survival and carbon sink potential of salt marshes, which are valuable yet endangered wetland environments. Measuring the organic matter content in marsh soils and its relationship with environmental variables, we observed that the organic matter accumulation varies at different scales, and it is driven by the interplay between sediment supply and vegetation, which are affected, in turn, by marine and fluvial influences.
Patrick J. Neale, J. Patrick Megonigal, Maria Tzortziou, Elizabeth A. Canuel, Christina R. Pondell, and Hannah Morrissette
Biogeosciences, 21, 2599–2620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2599-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2599-2024, 2024
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Adsorption/desorption incubations were conducted with tidal marsh soils to understand the differential sorption behavior of colored vs. noncolored dissolved organic carbon. The wetland soils varied in organic content, and a range of salinities of fresh to 35 was used. Soils primarily adsorbed colored organic carbon and desorbed noncolored organic carbon. Sorption capacity increased with salinity, implying that salinity variations may shift composition of dissolved carbon in tidal marsh waters.
Alexandra L. Hedgpeth, Alison M. Hoyt, Kyle Cavanaugh, Karis J. McFarlane, and Daniela F. Cusack
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1279, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1279, 2024
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Tropical peatlands store ancient carbon and have been identified as not only vulnerable to future climate change but take a long time to recover after disturbance. It is unknown if these gases are produced from decomposition of thousand-year-old peat. Radiocarbon dating shows emitted gases are young, indicating surface carbon, not old peat, drives emissions. Preserving these ecosystems can trap old carbon, mitigating climate change.
Leeza Speranskaya, David I. Campbell, Peter M. Lafleur, and Elyn R. Humphreys
Biogeosciences, 21, 1173–1190, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1173-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1173-2024, 2024
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Higher evaporation has been predicted in peatlands due to climatic drying. We determined whether the water-conservative vegetation at a Southern Hemisphere bog could cause a different response to dryness compared to a "typical" Northern Hemisphere bog, using decades-long evaporation datasets from each site. At the southern bog, evaporation increased at a much lower rate with increasing dryness, suggesting that this peatland type may be more resilient to climate warming than northern bogs.
James Stegen, Amy Burgin, Michelle Busch, Joshua Fisher, Joshua Ladau, Jenna Abrahamson, Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Li Li, Xingyuan Chen, Thibault Datry, Nate McDowell, Corianne Tatariw, Anna Braswell, Jillian Deines, Julia Guimond, Peter Regier, Kenton Rod, Edward Bam, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Inke Forbrich, Kristin Jaeger, Teri O'Meara, Tim Scheibe, Erin Seybold, Jon Sweetman, Jianqiu Zheng, Daniel Allen, Elizabeth Herndon, Beth Middleton, Scott Painter, Kevin Roche, Julianne Scamardo, Ross Vander Vorste, Kristin Boye, Ellen Wohl, Margaret Zimmer, Kelly Hondula, Maggi Laan, Anna Marshall, and Kaizad Patel
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-98, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-98, 2024
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The loss and gain of surface water (variable inundation) is a common process across Earth. Global change shifts variable inundation dynamics, highlighting a need for unified understanding that transcends individual variably inundated ecosystems (VIEs). We review literature, highlight challenges, and emphasize opportunities to generate transferable knowledge by viewing VIEs through a common lens. We aim to inspire the emergence of a cross-VIE community based on a proposed continuum approach.
Emilia Chiapponi, Sonia Silvestri, Denis Zannoni, Marco Antonellini, and Beatrice M. S. Giambastiani
Biogeosciences, 21, 73–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-73-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-73-2024, 2024
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Coastal wetlands are important for their ability to store carbon, but they also emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This study conducted in four wetlands in Ravenna, Italy, aims at understanding how environmental factors affect greenhouse gas emissions. Temperature and irradiance increased emissions from water and soil, while water column depth and salinity limited them. Understanding environmental factors is crucial for mitigating climate change in wetland ecosystems.
Jyrki Jauhiainen, Juha Heikkinen, Nicholas Clarke, Hongxing He, Lise Dalsgaard, Kari Minkkinen, Paavo Ojanen, Lars Vesterdal, Jukka Alm, Aldis Butlers, Ingeborg Callesen, Sabine Jordan, Annalea Lohila, Ülo Mander, Hlynur Óskarsson, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Gunnhild Søgaard, Kaido Soosaar, Åsa Kasimir, Brynhildur Bjarnadottir, Andis Lazdins, and Raija Laiho
Biogeosciences, 20, 4819–4839, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4819-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4819-2023, 2023
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The study looked at published data on drained organic forest soils in boreal and temperate zones to revisit current Tier 1 default emission factors (EFs) provided by the IPCC Wetlands Supplement. We examined the possibilities of forming more site-type specific EFs and inspected the potential relevance of environmental variables for predicting annual soil greenhouse gas balances by statistical models. The results have important implications for EF revisions and national emission reporting.
Jennifer Williamson, Chris Evans, Bryan Spears, Amy Pickard, Pippa J. Chapman, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Fraser Leith, Susan Waldron, and Don Monteith
Biogeosciences, 20, 3751–3766, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3751-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3751-2023, 2023
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Managing drinking water catchments to minimise water colour could reduce costs for water companies and save their customers money. Brown-coloured water comes from peat soils, primarily around upland reservoirs. Management practices, including blocking drains, removing conifers, restoring peatland plants and reducing burning, have been used to try and reduce water colour. This work brings together published evidence of the effectiveness of these practices to aid water industry decision-making.
Ting Sun and Brian A. Branfireun
Biogeosciences, 20, 2971–2984, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2971-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2971-2023, 2023
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Shrub leaves had higher mercury concentrations than sedge leaves in the sedge-dominated peatland. Dead shrub leaves leached less soluble mercury but more bioaccessible dissolved organic matter than dead sedge leaves. Leached mercury was positively related to the aromaticity of dissolved organic matter in leachate. Future plant species composition changes under climate change will affect Hg input from plant leaves to northern peatlands.
Hao Tang, Stefanie Nolte, Kai Jensen, Roy Rich, Julian Mittmann-Goetsch, and Peter Mueller
Biogeosciences, 20, 1925–1935, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1925-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1925-2023, 2023
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In order to gain the first mechanistic insight into warming effects and litter breakdown dynamics across whole-soil profiles, we used a unique field warming experiment and standardized plant litter to investigate the degree to which rising soil temperatures can accelerate belowground litter breakdown in coastal wetland ecosystems. We found warming strongly increases the initial rate of labile litter decomposition but has less consistent effects on the stabilization of this material.
Raghab Ray, Rempei Suwa, Toshihiro Miyajima, Jeffrey Munar, Masaya Yoshikai, Maria Lourdes San Diego-McGlone, and Kazuo Nadaoka
Biogeosciences, 20, 911–928, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-911-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-911-2023, 2023
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Mangroves are blue carbon ecosystems known to store large amounts of organic carbon in the sediments. This study is a first attempt to apply a chronosequence (or space-for-time substitution) approach to evaluate the distribution and accumulation rate of carbon in a 30-year-old (maximum age) restored mangrove forest. Using this approach, the contribution of restored or planted mangroves to sedimentary organic carbon presents an increasing pattern with mangrove age.
Laura Clark, Ian B. Strachan, Maria Strack, Nigel T. Roulet, Klaus-Holger Knorr, and Henning Teickner
Biogeosciences, 20, 737–751, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-737-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-737-2023, 2023
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We determine the effect that duration of extraction has on CO2 and CH4 emissions from an actively extracted peatland. Peat fields had high net C emissions in the first years after opening, and these then declined to half the initial value for several decades. Findings contribute to knowledge on the atmospheric burden that results from these activities and are of use to industry in their life cycle reporting and government agencies responsible for greenhouse gas accounting and policy.
Daniel L. Pönisch, Anne Breznikar, Cordula N. Gutekunst, Gerald Jurasinski, Maren Voss, and Gregor Rehder
Biogeosciences, 20, 295–323, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-295-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-295-2023, 2023
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Peatland rewetting is known to reduce dissolved nutrients and greenhouse gases; however, short-term nutrient leaching and high CH4 emissions shortly after rewetting are likely to occur. We investigated the rewetting of a coastal peatland with brackish water and its effects on nutrient release and greenhouse gas fluxes. Nutrient concentrations were higher in the peatland than in the adjacent bay, leading to an export. CH4 emissions did not increase, which is in contrast to freshwater rewetting.
Stephen G. Chastain, Karen E. Kohfeld, Marlow G. Pellatt, Carolina Olid, and Maija Gailis
Biogeosciences, 19, 5751–5777, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5751-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5751-2022, 2022
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Salt marshes are thought to be important carbon sinks because of their ability to store carbon in their soils. We provide the first estimates of how much blue carbon is stored in salt marshes on the Pacific coast of Canada. We find that the carbon stored in the marshes is low compared to other marshes around the world, likely because of their young age. Still, the high marshes take up carbon at rates faster than the global average, making them potentially important carbon sinks in the future.
Jim Boonman, Mariet M. Hefting, Corine J. A. van Huissteden, Merit van den Berg, Jacobus (Ko) van Huissteden, Gilles Erkens, Roel Melman, and Ype van der Velde
Biogeosciences, 19, 5707–5727, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5707-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5707-2022, 2022
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Draining peat causes high CO2 emissions, and rewetting could potentially help solve this problem. In the dry year 2020 we measured that subsurface irrigation reduced CO2 emissions by 28 % and 83 % on two research sites. We modelled a peat parcel and found that the reduction depends on seepage and weather conditions and increases when using pressurized irrigation or maintaining high ditchwater levels. We found that soil temperature and moisture are suitable as indicators of peat CO2 emissions.
Maiju Linkosalmi, Juha-Pekka Tuovinen, Olli Nevalainen, Mikko Peltoniemi, Cemal M. Taniş, Ali N. Arslan, Juuso Rainne, Annalea Lohila, Tuomas Laurila, and Mika Aurela
Biogeosciences, 19, 4747–4765, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4747-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4747-2022, 2022
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Vegetation greenness was monitored with digital cameras in three northern peatlands during five growing seasons. The greenness index derived from the images was highest at the most nutrient-rich site. Greenness indicated the main phases of phenology and correlated with CO2 uptake, though this was mainly related to the common seasonal cycle. The cameras and Sentinel-2 satellite showed consistent results, but more frequent satellite data are needed for reliable detection of phenological phases.
Antonin Prijac, Laure Gandois, Laurent Jeanneau, Pierre Taillardat, and Michelle Garneau
Biogeosciences, 19, 4571–4588, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4571-2022, 2022
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Pools are common features of peatlands. We documented dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition in pools and peat of an ombrotrophic boreal peatland to understand its origin and potential role in the peatland carbon budget. The survey reveals that DOM composition differs between pools and peat, although it is derived from the peat vegetation. We investigated which processes are involved and estimated that the contribution of carbon emissions from DOM processing in pools could be substantial.
Cordula Nina Gutekunst, Susanne Liebner, Anna-Kathrina Jenner, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Viktoria Unger, Franziska Koebsch, Erwin Don Racasa, Sizhong Yang, Michael Ernst Böttcher, Manon Janssen, Jens Kallmeyer, Denise Otto, Iris Schmiedinger, Lucas Winski, and Gerald Jurasinski
Biogeosciences, 19, 3625–3648, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3625-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3625-2022, 2022
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Methane emissions decreased after a seawater inflow and a preceding drought in freshwater rewetted coastal peatland. However, our microbial and greenhouse gas measurements did not indicate that methane consumers increased. Rather, methane producers co-existed in high numbers with their usual competitors, the sulfate-cycling bacteria. We studied the peat soil and aimed to cover the soil–atmosphere continuum to better understand the sources of methane production and consumption.
Liam Heffernan, Maria A. Cavaco, Maya P. Bhatia, Cristian Estop-Aragonés, Klaus-Holger Knorr, and David Olefeldt
Biogeosciences, 19, 3051–3071, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3051-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3051-2022, 2022
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Permafrost thaw in peatlands leads to waterlogged conditions, a favourable environment for microbes producing methane (CH4) and high CH4 emissions. High CH4 emissions in the initial decades following thaw are due to a vegetation community that produces suitable organic matter to fuel CH4-producing microbes, along with warm and wet conditions. High CH4 emissions after thaw persist for up to 100 years, after which environmental conditions are less favourable for microbes and high CH4 emissions.
Julia Gensel, Marc Steven Humphries, Matthias Zabel, David Sebag, Annette Hahn, and Enno Schefuß
Biogeosciences, 19, 2881–2902, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2881-2022, 2022
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We investigated organic matter (OM) and plant-wax-derived biomarkers in sediments and plants along the Mkhuze River to constrain OM's origin and transport pathways within South Africa's largest freshwater wetland. Presently, it efficiently captures OM, so neither transport from upstream areas nor export from the swamp occurs. Thus, we emphasize that such geomorphological features can alter OM provenance, questioning the assumption of watershed-integrated information in downstream sediments.
Petri Kiuru, Marjo Palviainen, Tiia Grönholm, Maarit Raivonen, Lukas Kohl, Vincent Gauci, Iñaki Urzainki, and Annamari Laurén
Biogeosciences, 19, 1959–1977, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1959-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1959-2022, 2022
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Peatlands are large sources of methane (CH4), and peat structure controls CH4 production and emissions. We used X-ray microtomography imaging, complex network theory methods, and pore network modeling to describe the properties of peat macropore networks and the role of macropores in CH4-related processes. We show that conditions for gas transport and CH4 production vary with depth and are affected by hysteresis, which may explain the hotspots and episodic spikes in peatland CH4 emissions.
Rey Harvey Suello, Simon Lucas Hernandez, Steven Bouillon, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Marijn Van de Broek, Andrea Mishell Rosado Moncayo, John Ramos Veliz, Karem Pollette Ramirez, Gerard Govers, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 19, 1571–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, 2022
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This research shows indications that the age of the mangrove forest and its position along a deltaic gradient (upstream–downstream) play a vital role in the amount and sources of carbon stored in the mangrove sediments. Our findings also imply that carbon capture by the mangrove ecosystem itself contributes partly but relatively little to long-term sediment organic carbon storage. This finding is particularly relevant for budgeting the potential of mangrove ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
Hao Tang, Susanne Liebner, Svenja Reents, Stefanie Nolte, Kai Jensen, Fabian Horn, and Peter Mueller
Biogeosciences, 18, 6133–6146, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6133-2021, 2021
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We examined if sea-level rise and plant genotype interact to affect soil microbial functioning in a mesocosm experiment using two genotypes of a dominant salt-marsh grass characterized by differences in flooding sensitivity. Larger variability in microbial community structure, enzyme activity, and litter breakdown in soils with the more sensitive genotype supports our hypothesis that effects of climate change on soil microbial functioning can be controlled by plant intraspecific adaptations.
Naima Iram, Emad Kavehei, Damien T. Maher, Stuart E. Bunn, Mehran Rezaei Rashti, Bahareh Shahrabi Farahani, and Maria Fernanda Adame
Biogeosciences, 18, 5085–5096, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5085-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5085-2021, 2021
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Greenhouse gas emissions were measured and compared from natural coastal wetlands and their converted agricultural lands across annual seasonal cycles in tropical Australia. Ponded pastures emitted ~ 200-fold-higher methane than any other tested land use type, suggesting the highest greenhouse gas mitigation potential and financial incentives by the restoration of ponded pastures to natural coastal wetlands.
Pavel Alekseychik, Aino Korrensalo, Ivan Mammarella, Samuli Launiainen, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Ilkka Korpela, and Timo Vesala
Biogeosciences, 18, 4681–4704, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4681-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4681-2021, 2021
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Bogs of northern Eurasia represent a major type of peatland ecosystem and contain vast amounts of carbon, but carbon balance monitoring studies on bogs are scarce. The current project explores 6 years of carbon balance data obtained using the state-of-the-art eddy-covariance technique at a Finnish bog Siikaneva. The results reveal relatively low interannual variability indicative of ecosystem resilience to both cool and hot summers and provide new insights into the seasonal course of C fluxes.
Timea Katona, Benjamin Silas Gilfedder, Sven Frei, Matthias Bücker, and Adrian Flores-Orozco
Biogeosciences, 18, 4039–4058, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4039-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4039-2021, 2021
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We used electrical geophysical methods to map variations in the rates of microbial activity within a wetland. Our results show that the highest electrical conductive and capacitive properties relate to the highest concentrations of phosphates, carbon, and iron; thus, we can use them to characterize the geometry of the biogeochemically active areas or hotspots.
Jurek Müller and Fortunat Joos
Biogeosciences, 18, 3657–3687, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3657-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3657-2021, 2021
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We present long-term projections of global peatland area and carbon with a continuous transient history since the Last Glacial Maximum. Our novel results show that large parts of today’s northern peatlands are at risk from past and future climate change, with larger emissions clearly connected to larger risks. The study includes comparisons between different emission and land-use scenarios, driver attribution through factorial simulations, and assessments of uncertainty from climate forcing.
Lianlian Zhu, Zhengmiao Deng, Yonghong Xie, Xu Li, Feng Li, Xinsheng Chen, Yeai Zou, Chengyi Zhang, and Wei Wang
Biogeosciences, 18, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1-2021, 2021
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We conducted a Carex brevicuspis leaf litter input experiment to clarify the intrinsic factors controlling litter decomposition and quantify its contribution to the soil organic carbon pool at different water levels. Our results revealed that the water level in natural wetlands influenced litter decomposition mainly by leaching and microbial activity, by extension, and affected the wetland surface carbon pool.
Robert J. Parker, Chris Wilson, A. Anthony Bloom, Edward Comyn-Platt, Garry Hayman, Joe McNorton, Hartmut Boesch, and Martyn P. Chipperfield
Biogeosciences, 17, 5669–5691, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5669-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5669-2020, 2020
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Wetlands contribute the largest uncertainty to the atmospheric methane budget. WetCHARTs is a simple, data-driven model that estimates wetland emissions using observations of precipitation and temperature. We perform the first detailed evaluation of WetCHARTs against satellite data and find it performs well in reproducing the observed wetland methane seasonal cycle for the majority of wetland regions. In regions where it performs poorly, we highlight incorrect wetland extent as a key reason.
Jurek Müller and Fortunat Joos
Biogeosciences, 17, 5285–5308, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5285-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5285-2020, 2020
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We present an in-depth model analysis of transient peatland area and carbon dynamics over the last 22 000 years. Our novel results show that the consideration of both gross positive and negative area changes are necessary to understand the transient evolution of peatlands and their net effect on atmospheric carbon. The study includes the attributions to drivers through factorial simulations, assessments of uncertainty from climate forcing, and determination of the global net carbon balance.
Lilli Zeh, Marie Theresa Igel, Judith Schellekens, Juul Limpens, Luca Bragazza, and Karsten Kalbitz
Biogeosciences, 17, 4797–4813, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4797-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4797-2020, 2020
Jérémy Guilhen, Ahmad Al Bitar, Sabine Sauvage, Marie Parrens, Jean-Michel Martinez, Gwenael Abril, Patricia Moreira-Turcq, and José-Miguel Sánchez-Pérez
Biogeosciences, 17, 4297–4311, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4297-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4297-2020, 2020
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The quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) released to the atmosphere by human industries and agriculture, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), has been constantly increasing for the last few decades.
This work develops a methodology which makes consistent both satellite observations and modelling of the Amazon basin to identify and quantify the role of wetlands in GHG emissions. We showed that these areas produce non-negligible emissions and are linked to land use.
Thomas Rosset, Stéphane Binet, Jean-Marc Antoine, Emilie Lerigoleur, François Rigal, and Laure Gandois
Biogeosciences, 17, 3705–3722, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3705-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3705-2020, 2020
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Peatlands export a large amount of DOC through inland waters. This study aims at identifying the mechanisms controlling the DOC concentration at the outlet of two mountainous peatlands in the French Pyrenees. Peat water temperature and water table dynamics are shown to drive seasonal- and event-scale DOC concentration variation. According to water recession times, peatlands appear as complexes of different hydrological and biogeochemical units supplying inland waters at different rates.
David Holl, Eva-Maria Pfeiffer, and Lars Kutzbach
Biogeosciences, 17, 2853–2874, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2853-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2853-2020, 2020
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We measured greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes at a bog site in northwestern Germany that has been heavily degraded by peat mining. During the 2-year investigation period, half of the area was still being mined, whereas the remaining half had been rewetted shortly before. We could therefore estimate the impact of rewetting on GHG flux dynamics. Rewetting had a considerable effect on the annual GHG balance and led to increased (up to 84 %) methane and decreased (up to 40 %) carbon dioxide release.
Jacob S. Diamond, Daniel L. McLaughlin, Robert A. Slesak, and Atticus Stovall
Biogeosciences, 17, 901–915, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-901-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-901-2020, 2020
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Many wetland systems exhibit lumpy, or uneven, soil surfaces where higher points are called hummocks and lower points are called hollows. We found that, while hummocks extended only ~ 20 cm above hollow surfaces, they exhibited distinct plant communities, plant growth, and soil properties. Differences between hummocks and hollows were the greatest in wetter sites, supporting the hypothesis that plants create and maintain their own hummocks in response to saturated soil conditions.
Terhi Riutta, Aino Korrensalo, Anna M. Laine, Jukka Laine, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
Biogeosciences, 17, 727–740, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-727-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-727-2020, 2020
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We studied the role of plant species groups in peatland methane fluxes under natural conditions and lowered water level. At a natural water level, sedges and mosses increased the fluxes. At a lower water level, the impact of plant groups on the fluxes was small. Only at a high water level did vegetation regulate the fluxes. The results are relevant for assessing peatland methane fluxes in a changing climate, as peatland water level and vegetation are predicted to change.
M. Graham Clark, Elyn R. Humphreys, and Sean K. Carey
Biogeosciences, 17, 667–682, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-667-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-667-2020, 2020
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Natural and restored wetlands typically emit methane to the atmosphere. However, we found that a wetland constructed after oil sand mining in boreal Canada using organic soils from local peatlands had negligible emissions of methane in its first 3 years. Methane production was likely suppressed due to an abundance of alternate inorganic electron acceptors. Methane emissions may increase in the future if the alternate electron acceptors continue to decrease.
Hendrik Reuter, Julia Gensel, Marcus Elvert, and Dominik Zak
Biogeosciences, 17, 499–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-499-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-499-2020, 2020
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Using infrared spectroscopy, we developed a routine to disentangle microbial nitrogen (N) and plant N in decomposed litter. In a decomposition experiment in three wetland soils, this routine revealed preferential protein depolymerization as a decomposition-site-dependent parameter, unaffected by variations in initial litter N content. In Sphagnum peat, preferential protein depolymerization led to a N depletion of still-unprocessed litter tissue, i.e., a gradual loss of litter quality.
Kevan J. Minick, Bhaskar Mitra, Asko Noormets, and John S. King
Biogeosciences, 16, 4671–4686, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4671-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4671-2019, 2019
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Sea level rise alters hydrology and vegetation in coastal wetlands. We studied effects of freshwater, saltwater, and wood on soil microbial activity in a freshwater forested wetland. Saltwater reduced CO2/CH4 production compared to freshwater, suggesting large changes in greenhouse gas production and microbial activity are possible due to saltwater intrusion into freshwater wetlands but that the availability of C in the form of dead wood (as forests transition to marsh) may alter the magnitude.
Jyrki Jauhiainen, Jukka Alm, Brynhildur Bjarnadottir, Ingeborg Callesen, Jesper R. Christiansen, Nicholas Clarke, Lise Dalsgaard, Hongxing He, Sabine Jordan, Vaiva Kazanavičiūtė, Leif Klemedtsson, Ari Lauren, Andis Lazdins, Aleksi Lehtonen, Annalea Lohila, Ainars Lupikis, Ülo Mander, Kari Minkkinen, Åsa Kasimir, Mats Olsson, Paavo Ojanen, Hlynur Óskarsson, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Gunnhild Søgaard, Kaido Soosaar, Lars Vesterdal, and Raija Laiho
Biogeosciences, 16, 4687–4703, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4687-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4687-2019, 2019
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We collated peer-reviewed publications presenting GHG flux data for drained organic forest soils in boreal and temperate climate zones, focusing on data that have been used, or have the potential to be used, for estimating net annual soil GHG emission/removals. We evaluated the methods in data collection and identified major gaps in background/environmental data. Based on these, we developed suggestions for future GHG data collection to increase data applicability in syntheses and inventories.
Steffen Buessecker, Kaitlyn Tylor, Joshua Nye, Keith E. Holbert, Jose D. Urquiza Muñoz, Jennifer B. Glass, Hilairy E. Hartnett, and Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz
Biogeosciences, 16, 4601–4612, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4601-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4601-2019, 2019
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We investigated the potential for chemical reduction of nitrite into nitrous oxide (N2O) in soils from tropical peat. Among treatments, irradiation resulted in the lowest biological interference and least change of native soil chemistry (iron and organic matter). Nitrite depletion was as high in live or irradiated soils, and N2O production was significant in all tests. Thus, nonbiological production of N2O may be widely underestimated in wetlands and tropical peatlands.
Ward Swinnen, Nils Broothaerts, and Gert Verstraeten
Biogeosciences, 16, 3977–3996, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3977-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3977-2019, 2019
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In this study, a new model is presented, which was specifically designed to study the development and carbon storage of blanket peatlands since the last ice age. In the past, two main processes (declining forest cover and rising temperatures) have been proposed as drivers of blanket peatland development on the British Isles. The simulations performed in this study support the temperature hypothesis for the blanket peatlands in the Cairngorms Mountains of central Scotland.
David Holl, Verónica Pancotto, Adrian Heger, Sergio Jose Camargo, and Lars Kutzbach
Biogeosciences, 16, 3397–3423, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3397-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3397-2019, 2019
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We present 2 years of eddy covariance carbon dioxide flux data from two Southern Hemisphere peatlands on Tierra del Fuego. One of the investigated sites is a type of bog exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere, which is dominated by vascular, cushion-forming plants and is particularly understudied. One result of this study is that these cushion bogs apparently are highly productive in comparison to Northern and Southern Hemisphere moss-dominated bogs.
Liudmila S. Shirokova, Artem V. Chupakov, Svetlana A. Zabelina, Natalia V. Neverova, Dahedrey Payandi-Rolland, Carole Causserand, Jan Karlsson, and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Biogeosciences, 16, 2511–2526, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2511-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2511-2019, 2019
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Regardless of the size and landscape context of surface water in frozen peatland in NE Europe, the bio- and photo-degradability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) over a 1-month incubation across a range of temperatures was below 10 %. We challenge the paradigm of dominance of photolysis and biodegradation in DOM processing in surface waters from frozen peatland, and we hypothesize peat pore-water DOM degradation and respiration of sediments to be the main drivers of CO2 emission in this region.
Elisa Männistö, Aino Korrensalo, Pavel Alekseychik, Ivan Mammarella, Olli Peltola, Timo Vesala, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
Biogeosciences, 16, 2409–2421, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2409-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2409-2019, 2019
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We studied methane emitted as episodic bubble release (ebullition) from water and bare peat surfaces of a boreal bog over three years. There was more ebullition from water than from bare peat surfaces, and it was controlled by peat temperature, water level, atmospheric pressure and the weekly temperature sum. However, the contribution of methane bubbles to the total ecosystem methane emission was small. This new information can be used to improve process models of peatland methane dynamics.
Cited articles
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Arsenault, J., Talbot, J., Moore, T. R., Beauvais, M.-P., Franssen, J., and Roulet, N. T.: The spatial heterogeneity of vegetation, hydrology and water chemistry in a peatland with open-water pools, Ecosystems, 22, 1352–1367, 2019.
Arsenault, J., Talbot, J., Brown, L., Holden, J., Martinez-Cruz, K., Sepulveda-Jauregui, A., Swindles, G. T., Wauthy, M., and Lapierre, J. F.: Biogeochemical distinctiveness of peatland ponds, thermokarst waterbodies, and lakes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, e2021GL097492, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097492, 2022.
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Short summary
Peatlands are among the largest carbon (C) sinks on the planet. However, peatland features such as open-water pools emit more C than they accumulate because of higher decomposition than production. With this study, we show that the rates of decomposition vary among pools and are mostly driven by the environmental conditions in pools rather than by the nature of the material being decomposed. This means that changes in pool number or size may modify the capacity of peatlands to accumulate C.
Peatlands are among the largest carbon (C) sinks on the planet. However, peatland features such...
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